The benefits of natural skincare for your skin

In today's post we tell you about all the benefits natural skincare brings to the beauty of your skin and to your health, going over its principles and the scientific studies that back up its properties. If you still have doubts about this more natural alternative, it's time to be convinced and make the switch, once and for all, to real “personal care” products.

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Why switch to natural skincare?

Over the course of a day, the average person uses more than 10 different personal care products. From soaps, creams, shampoos and toothpaste to serums, face masks, make-up, mouthwash, toner, lipstick, deodorant and cologne, among others.

It's crucial to understand that beauty products don't just have a surface-level impact: they also affect the health of our skin and even our general wellbeing. And that is precisely why the natural skincare sector keeps on growing.

Natural skincare has become an alternative that is kind to both your skin and the environment, and effective at making skin look visibly healthier and more hydrated. These products offer the benefits of healthy, radiant skin without compromising the health of your skin or your body.

At this point, we'd like to tell you up front that the benefits of natural skincare go beyond using less toxic or biodegradable ingredients: each product offers added advantages over its “conventional” version. Stay with us to the end to find out what lies behind these everyday products.

What is natural skincare?

Before we start listing the benefits of natural skincare, it's important to define it.

Natural skincare refers to making and formulating beauty and personal care products using ingredients of 100% natural origin, such as plant extracts, essential oils, natural butters, clays, minerals and other natural components.

It's worth mentioning that the effectiveness of natural ingredients has been analysed and tested in a number of studies (1-5), as well as in lab tests during the development and formulation of the products themselves.

Natural skincare provides highly effective biologically active ingredients that focus on repairing the skin barrier, hydration, reducing inflammation, preventing or fading dark spots, and sun protection (2,4). The effects of natural skincare are comparable to, or even better than, those of conventional cosmetics, as it effectively nourishes, hydrates, soothes and protects the skin.

Natural skincare also avoids chemicals that are harsh on the skin. Through our skin we absorb a large amount of the chemicals found in cosmetics and perfumes, such as artificial fragrances, synthetic colourings, parabens, phthalates, sulphates and other questionable additives commonly found in conventional beauty products, which can irritate the skin or even disrupt hormonal balance by acting as endocrine disruptors (both for the person applying them and for ecosystems).

Another key point of natural skincare is its focus on sustainability and respect for health and the environment. That's why these products use biodegradable organic ingredients and eco-friendly, reusable packaging.

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Benefits of natural skincare for your skin

The first thing to get rid of is the myth that natural skincare is less effective than conventional products. At Cannactiva, our natural skincare range has been developed by professionals with extensive experience in formulating products for leading “conventional” brands. That's why we can guarantee that switching to green beauty doesn't mean any loss of quality or effectiveness at all – quite the opposite.

Natural, effective ingredients

Generally, people choose natural skincare first for its beneficial results for the skin, to minimise exposure to potentially harmful chemicals and as a more planet-friendly option.

Natural skincare uses top-quality ingredients with bioactive molecules that have different properties for the skin. Its main benefits include:

1. Providing powerful antioxidants, substances that help prevent and reduce the signs of natural skin ageing.
2. Providing deep hydration and nourishment for the skin.
3. Using natural ingredients that are kind to the skin barrier, which makes them more suitable for sensitive skin.

But if we look at each type of product in turn, you'll discover benefits of natural skincare you probably didn't know about. Read on to the end!

Toxin-free creams for your skin

Facial creams are among the most important personal care products: they're the products we rely on to prevent or reduce the signs of skin ageing, such as wrinkles, fine lines, loss of elasticity and firmness, lack of hydration and dry skin, or dark spots.

To make all this possible, you need creams that hydrate the skin deeply and whose effect lasts throughout the day. We know that keeping skin hydrated is linked to it being softer, more supple and therefore more beautiful. Hydration is also key for everything to work properly “inside” our skin and for it to look healthier. Natural creams contain a combination of moisturising ingredients that give the skin effective, long-lasting hydration. Hyaluronic acid is one of the most powerful natural moisturisers in natural skincare, improving the skin's hydration, softness, volume and suppleness. Other moisturising ingredients are honey, aloe vera, glycerine and plant oils such as shea butter, which are used to provide extra hydration. These natural ingredients also have soothing properties, providing additional benefits for the skin.

One of the sensations natural skincare users share is a revitalising, fresh feeling. Whereas many conventional creams leave an occlusive or sticky feeling when applied, natural skincare promotes skin oxygenation by using natural ingredients that stimulate circulation and cell metabolism, improving the skin's appearance and health.

Cares for the skin's natural barrier

One of the great benefits of natural skincare is its gentle, skin-friendly approach, which is why it's a better-tolerated option for people with sensitive skin.

The skin barrier is the outermost layer of the skin, which protects against moisture loss and the entry of harmful substances. Most conventional creams and soaps contain irritating synthetic chemical ingredients that damage the skin barrier, causing loss of moisture, firmness and hydration, and leading to redness, irritation, and dry, flaky skin.

Among the natural ingredients for repairing the skin barrier, the star and most highly valued ingredient is cannabidiol, or CBD, with almost miraculous effects when it comes to caring for dry skin, and which has already shown its regenerative properties in conditions such as psoriasis.

See: What is CBD and what is it for? - An article focused on helping you learn the basics of CBD.

CBD is an innovative cosmetic ingredient, unique in its properties, as it is the only cosmetic agent with real effects on the skin's endocannabinoid system.

Other natural ingredients used for skin barrier repair include linoleic and linolenic fatty acids found in hemp oil, vitamin E and the ceramides in shea butter. These ingredients help maintain the integrity of the skin barrier, resulting in firmer, better hydrated, healthy and resilient skin.

An ideal treatment for repairing the skin barrier is to apply Repairing and Moisturising CBD Body Lotion and complete the treatment with CBD body oil. You can do this routine after your daily shower, and it's perfect for when you get back from the beach or after spending hours in the sun.

Natural skincare serum: powerful results

Another misconception about natural skincare is that it uses different ingredients from conventional products. It's a myth: both types of product share many active ingredients, such as the cannabidiol (CBD) and hyaluronic acid already mentioned, or vitamin C and panthenol.

This makes it possible to create a Natural CBD Serum with Hyaluronic Acid and Panthenol with ingredients of proven effectiveness and improved properties compared with its conventional version.

Skin anti-inflammatories

One of the biggest benefits of natural skincare is that it provides highly effective anti-inflammatory actives. Skin inflammation can have various causes, such as hair removal, chafing, chemical products (cleaning products, make-up…) or conditions such as dermatitis. All this damage triggers an inflammatory reaction in the skin, which is needed to repair the tissue. This natural reaction causes pain, swelling and redness of the skin. Full spectrum CBD oil has unique soothing and anti-inflammatory properties for the skin.

The essential oils and moisturising actives in creams also have an anti-inflammatory effect. If you have very sensitive skin, an ideal homemade face mask is to mix oat flour (or very finely ground oat flakes) with a strong chamomile infusion (boil the oats, add the chamomile, cover, leave to cool and apply to the skin), which has anti-inflammatory properties.

Sulphate- and paraben-free soaps, less irritating and kinder to your skin

Why is my skin dry and flaky if I use creams? Beauty and skincare cover everything, not just creams. Using soaps with harsh chemicals that damage the skin barrier is what's behind dry skin.

Sulphates, such as the well-known sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), are foaming agents commonly used in personal care products (such as facial cleansers) and soaps (shower gels, shampoos and detergents). Their job is to create lots of lather to attract and remove all kinds of dirt. But these chemical compounds also strip the skin of its natural oils and the barrier's moisturising factors, causing redness, irritation, and dry, flaky skin, especially in people with sensitive skin. Parabens, on the other hand, are chemical preservatives that have been questioned for their hormonal potential and their ability to irritate the skin.

The natural skincare alternative is Handmade soap bar with natural ingredients, in which plant oils and natural aromas are the main ingredient, creating a gentle lather that is kind to the skin barrier and the skin. By choosing sulphate-free soaps, you avoid stripping away the skin's natural moisture, which makes for a more comfortable, softer, non-irritating feel.

Try switching all your soaps and shampoos to their natural versions and within a few weeks you'll notice a big change in your skin. Because there's little point putting on moisturising lotion after your shower if you've already “wiped out” your skin's own natural defences with chemical-laden shower gels.

Natural toothpaste: effective without harming your teeth

Natural toothpaste is an effective, safe alternative for dental care. You'd be surprised if you looked into what conventional toothpastes contain: whitening ingredients that are very abrasive to enamel (hydrated silica), artificial colourings and flavourings (sweeteners such as saccharin, aspartame…), endocrine disruptors (triclosan) and harsh chemicals (such as the sulphates mentioned earlier).

Instead, eco-friendly versions usually include ingredients such as white clay or kaolin, essential oils, plant extracts and natural minerals, which clean effectively without compromising dental health. Natural toothpaste not only helps remove plaque and bacteria, but also promotes better oral health.

Another thing you'll only find in natural alternatives: the benefits of fluoride-free toothpaste.

Environmental benefits of natural skincare

Biodegradable ingredients

We can't finish talking about the benefits of natural skincare without mentioning its commitment to protecting and respecting the environment.

The life of soaps and creams doesn't end down the drain at home: it carries on into ecosystems, where these products have to be broken down by microorganisms.

Natural skincare uses natural ingredients that, as well as the benefits described above, are biodegradable and non-toxic to marine life. By contrast, most of the chemicals and synthetic ingredients in conventional soaps and creams take months or even years to be fully eliminated from the environment. And in other cases, they are toxic and disrupt marine life.

Sustainable packaging

What's more, ethical beauty means using sustainable packaging and reducing pollution and environmental impact at every stage of the product's life cycle. This shows in the use of bar soap (with no plastic packaging), but also in packaging that is reusable or 100% recyclable.

Cruelty-free skincare

Natural skincare is also cruelty-free (no animal cruelty involved), because the ingredients it uses are natural, with a well-known toxicity profile, and don't need to go through animal testing (which, in the EU, has been banned for all cosmetics since 2013).

Why it matters to choose professional natural skincare brands

Make no mistake: natural skincare is the best choice for your skin and for the planet. But, as always, not all brands offer products of the same quality and effectiveness.

In our online CBD shop, Cannactiva, you'll find high-quality natural skincare products, developed and made by professionals in the sector with extensive experience in cosmetic formulation.

We hope you've found this information useful on something as important as skincare and beauty products, which we use so often, every day. If you have any questions, get in touch – we'd love to hear from you!